1. “Quality of Life” is a common catch phrase bandied about in political arenas that really just means
“liking where you live” or even more to the point, “the fun stuff.” When discussing that topic, things like
budgets and zoning and fire codes are not generally mentioned. While those things certainly contribute
to one’s quality of life, they are not the fun stuff – parks, trail systems, events, dining, shopping – those
are the things that make you like where you live. But it’s more than just those physical things. The
attitude and “vibe” of one’s place in the world has a big effect on their quality of life. A sense of
community and sharing of common goals are the driving factors behind most Quality of Life issues and
places without those things often fail to achieve a very good quality of life. They stagnate and become
complacent.
Enid, Oklahoma is a city of approximately 52,000. For many years the mantra about town was
“there’s nothing to do in Enid.” In the 1980’s Enid was hit hard by the oil bust and essentially came to a
standstill on many levels. There were very few infrastructure improvements made, housing and retail
development dropped drastically, and there were very few local events of any kind happening. Traditions
like trick or treating had been replaced with standing in a line at the local mall or going to the festival at a
local church. There truly was very little to do in Enid and its own citizens talked down about it and left
town frequently, seeking entertainment elsewhere in more exciting settings. It had stagnated and become
complacent.
But then something changed. A handful of people realized that it didn’t have to be that way. They
realized the proverbial “They” they’d grown up hearing about was now them. They realized they were
the ones that had the power to make things better and once that realization sunk in, they literally changed
the attitude of nearly an entire city. It didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t always easy, but the Enid of
2003 and the Enid of 2015 are markedly and visibly different animals. The “vibe” is now one of a people
that are proud of where they live and one of excitement and busy-ness that comes from having too many
things to choose from on some weekends that one simply can’t do it all. It’s a true sense of community.
It’s a community that people invite their friends to rather than leaving.
The changes were slow and not even necessarily intended. As mentioned earlier, Halloween had
become boring. People had given up the usual traditions. In 2003 a group of individuals decided to have
an old fashioned Halloween festival on the courthouse lawn. In the beginning they were not completely
sure “They” would even allow them to have one, but when they began asking questions, they discovered
it was really a fairly simple process – theoretically. It amounted to getting a parade permit and permission
to block the streets from the local police department and permission to use the courthouse lawn from their
county commissioners. Theory and politics, however, are two entirely different things. It was easy enough

2. to get the permits and permissions, but getting the buy in was harder. The local chamber of commerce
was not interested in being involved, the local Main Street organization had too much on their plate, and
they were met with some personal agendas in regard to religion being the buckle of the Bible Belt. They
tried to get the support of the local businesses downtown. Some were very open to the idea and others
were angry that the street would be blocked off or they weren’t interested in listening because this group
of individuals weren’t part of any organization like the Chamber or Main Street, so it became a vicious
circle. They did eventually get the support of several organizations and businesses in town and they forged
ahead and soon learned that the public was hungry for just this type of event.
They planned on maybe 500 to 1000 people and thought that would be an incredible success. They
were stunned and amazed when more than 4,000 people showed up on the courthouse lawn that night. It
turned out to be one of the biggest events of the year, rivaling the annual Tri-State Parade, the Cherokee
Strip Parade, and Enid Lights Up the Plains Christmas event. And the newspaper didn’t even show up.
They did it again the next year. This time the paper came and people were less resistant. Another
successful year. It continued in that fashion for several more years, becoming “The” Halloween festival
in town. In the beginning, there was one other festival at a church. Ten years later, there were so many
Halloween events in town there was no way one could make them all.
The intentions became more deliberate – there was a goal to change the thought processes of the
community. In addition to the Halloween festival, there were other things happening. There was a music
festival, a motorcycle poker run that drew thousands of people to Enid every summer, a bacon festival, a
kite festival, and Main Street began doing monthly First Friday events along with their regular annual
events. There were movies shown on the courthouse lawn and people gathered at the ballpark to watch
The Thunder in the playoffs on the JumboTron, together, as a city. People were doing things and creating
things to do and they were taking pride in their community.
By a few people taking the initiative to change their circumstances and by having positive attitudes
about their city, they were able to show waiting on “Them” to do something wasn’t necessary. Changes
could be made by regular folks. In a 2010 article in The Journal Record about Enid’s bacon festival and
the economic impact of grassroots festivals, then Oklahoma Department of Tourism Executive Director
Hardy Watkins said, “Many great ideas come from civic-minded individuals who get together and say,
‘We want to celebrate our sense of place,’” and that’s exactly what happened in Enid, Oklahoma.
While things like Halloween and bacon festivals may seem frivolous, there is a definite connection
to the attitude and forward momentum that Enid has experienced over the last ten years. They brought
people with common likes together. They brought people into the city that otherwise wouldn’t have come.
They instilled a sense of pride in a community that had been stagnant for so long so that when the city
leadership changed and big projects were brought forth, people had the courage and conviction to embrace
them because they saw that acceptance and a simple change in attitude could change everything.
Enid is an original, vibrant city with boundless opportunities. A handful of people had a goal to
get rid of that “there’s nothing to do here” mantra and it’s been replaced with “there’s always something
to do here.” The community embraces progress like it’s a grand adventure and that has everything to do
with the way people started painting Enid and by people believing in the potential that’s always been there
and it’s been contagious.

3. There are many cities across the nation that are in a similar situation to Enid’s previous situation.
Somewhere along the way they’ve become complacent or perhaps simply just not sure what to do. That
can be changed with some very easy concepts and adjustments to some thought processes.
Tammy Wilson is one of the original founders of the Enid Halloween festival, the Baconalia bacon
festival that won a Mayor’s Choice Award, co-founder of the Ghostlahoma Paranormal Conference,
Phoenix Quest Harry Potter Convention, co-coordinator of the Fling at the Springs Music Festival, founder
of the Red Brick Road Food Truck Festival, co-founder/co-coordinator of the Tossed Cooking
Competition, and founder/coordinator of The 2nd Chance Dance Grown Up Prom.
In addition to providing fun events for Enid, she has served a four year term on the Enid City
Commission and has been reelected to serve a second four year term. Her experience as an event planner
in the community drove her ambition to run for public office. She saw firsthand the changes in the
attitudes of the citizens when they had pride in their city and she wanted to not only create fun things for
her community, but she wanted to create positive changes in the city that enhanced the Quality of Life in
other ways and give them real, tangible things to be proud of, too. She voted for the building of the Enid
Event Center, is a staunch supporter of local park improvements - approving the refurbishment of several
parks, and pushes regularly for additions to the local trail system. She was instrumental in getting the City
to agree to finance the installation of a privately funded Ferris wheel in one of their city parks and in 2014
and had a hillside slide built there as well. In addition, she drove the painting of a local bridge to look like
a shark mouth to try to divert the vast number of semi-trucks from hitting it. While these things are fun
on their faces, they are more than that – they are things that provide the citizens with that “sense of place”
they inherently want to celebrate. She does, however, also work on important things like water and streets
and the financial state of the city, but that’s not the fun stuff.
With the years of experience in grassroots event planning and her experience as a local policy
maker, Wilson has the ability to provide ideas for cities or organizations interested in creating their sense
of place. She can help cities or organizations formulate ideas to bring their community together, she can
provide guidance on how to plan and execute events, she can provide insight to what a city government
may expect or need, or she can execute an event for a city or organization.

4. She has been a frustrated citizen fighting the bureaucracy and she has created the bureaucracy so
she is in a unique position to shed light on both sides of issues that face cities. She can help you find your
sense of place and your city find the quality in its life.
http://journalrecord.com/2010/07/27/enid-residents-seek-summer-sizzle-with-bacon-festival-general-news/